Electronic Arts is introducing an EA Sports Season Ticket program. It costs $24.99 or 2000 Microsoft Points. The program lets you download the game 3 days early (You'll need a disc after), get 20% discounts on DLC, free premium web content, member recognition.

More info: http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/02/ea-sports-season-ticket-launches-today-offers-full-game-demos-a/

From one of the comments: "I guess if it's $25 for 3 days access to 5 games. It works out to about $5 to have the full game for 3 days".

Yes, it's for hardcore fans. But I think it's also good for the people that want to test the other games. For example, I get FIFA every year, and sometimes I'm interested in Madden or some other EA Sports game but don't want to pay full price, and they take a lot of time to drop. This is a good way to demo some of them.

The games included are: Madden, FIFA and NHL this year. And TW and NCAA Football next year.

Maxflier

08-02-11, 02:13 PM

I like how people (including the person who wrote the article) are surprised that you still have to go out and buy the game after the 3 day-early grace period. What did they think, 5 $60 games were theirs as part of their $25/year season pass?
The only EA game I play is FIFA, so I'd like to say I will pass on this but I guess it depends on what the premium content is exactly.

fujishig

08-02-11, 02:47 PM

Yes, it's for hardcore fans. But I think it's also good for the people that want to test the other games. For example, I get FIFA every year, and sometimes I'm interested in Madden or some other EA Sports game but don't want to pay full price, and they take a lot of time to drop. This is a good way to demo some of them.

The games included are: Madden, FIFA and NHL this year. And TW and NCAA Football next year.

Don't sports games drop more quickly and regularly than almost any other genre (not including the made-by-Ubisoft genre)?

Kedrix

08-02-11, 03:08 PM

Don't sports games drop more quickly and regularly than almost any other genre (not including the made-by-Ubisoft genre)?

I think the way it works is that they don't drop much during the season for which they are intended. However, after that season they drop like a rock. Most regular games might drop quicker but then reach a certain plateau say around $20. Sports games never reach a plateau, they can drop right to a buck if it so plays out.

fujishig

08-03-11, 11:38 AM

I think the way it works is that they don't drop much during the season for which they are intended. However, after that season they drop like a rock. Most regular games might drop quicker but then reach a certain plateau say around $20. Sports games never reach a plateau, they can drop right to a buck if it so plays out.

I don't follow all the sports franchises (and I stupidly pick up Madden on release most of the time now). But take NBA 2K (not an EA game, I know), for instance, last year's version was incredible, had no competition, and had arguably the greatest player to play the game on the cover and in the game, and I swear it was $40 bucks within a month or so (not including the TRU b2g1f biannual deal). I think Madden was similar.

Maxflier

08-03-11, 01:47 PM

Not sure why it's different, but Fifa 11 is still full price (not including Amazon), less than 2 months out from the next version hitting shelves.

Raul3

08-03-11, 02:58 PM

The biggest games are Madden and FIFA, they keep MSRP for a longer time. There are sales from time to time, but nothing really big.

fujishig

08-03-11, 08:25 PM

This may have been an anomaly, but I looked it up. Last year, at launch, Target had a $10 gift card + doritos and Best Buy had something like 500 RZ points. But K-mart beat them both with a $20 coupon, good on any EA game. Amazon dipped to $50 at release, probably as a price match, and then it dropped like a rock on Black Friday to $35 (I think to match Best Buy's price):